David Filner assumed the administrative leadership of the San Antonio Symphony in November, 2012. Led by Music Director Sebastian Lang-Lessing, the San Antonio Symphony is celebrating its 73rd year this season.

Note: This is an mySA.com City Brights Blog. These blogs are not written or edited by mySA or the San Antonio Express-News. The authors are solely responsible for the content.

Congratulations Mark

Yesterday, the news broke that Mark Richter, the founder and leader of the San Antonio Opera, was stepping down after 16 years. The Express-News had an article, as did the KPAC Blog. Running an opera company is one of the most complex non-profit jobs I know. It makes Symphony management look like a warm-up act. Mark not only ran the company, but he also founded it. That amount of dedication and achievement is amazing.

When I first arrived in San Antonio in 2008, Mark was one of the first non-profit leaders to call and help me with my introduction to our community. While opera and symphony have some differences, we share many of the same marketing, fundraising and artistic planning challenges. Opera just adds an entire level of theatrical complexity to the job. It takes quite a bit of time to learn about a new city, and I’m grateful for the insights Mark provided so early in my tenure.

The next San Antonio Opera production is Mozart’s Don Giovanni on February 17-19. It is one of the great masterpieces of Classical music. I encourage you to attend, and while you are enjoying it, remember to say thanks to Mark for bringing opera in San Antonio these last 16 years.